


Swimming Fool

by polysebongs



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Polyamory, water park AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 00:59:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12097242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polysebongs/pseuds/polysebongs
Summary: Jeonghan is not jealous. He’s got absolutely nothing to be jealous about, but the way his not-boyfriend smiles shyly at the new lifeguard makes something ugly twist in his gut.





	Swimming Fool

**Author's Note:**

> for eri bear & bree
> 
>  
> 
> unbeta'd but what's new tbh

Jeonghan is not jealous. He’s got absolutely nothing to be jealous about, but the way his not-boyfriend smiles shyly at the new lifeguard makes something ugly twist in his gut. He really cannot say anything about it, he’s been telling Soonyoung to date other people for nearly three years so he has no right to be jealous now that Soonyoung is finally listening to him. Jeonghan busies himself with wiping down his already clean bar when Soonyoung starts heading his way.

“We’re a weird couple,” Soonyoung says as he plops down onto one of the empty barstools. 

“That would be because we are not a couple,” Jeonghan replies, decidedly not looking at Soonyoung. All of their coworkers would probably disagree with Jeonghan, they would all say that he and Soonyoung have been an unofficial couple since Jeonghan was assigned to train Soonyoung during the younger’s first week as a Hidden Lagoon Water & Adventure Park employee. Jeonghan has been insisting they don’t get attached ever since they first started hooking up in Jeonghan’s old green Jeep that first summer, long distance relationships are hard and Jeonghan didn’t want to be tied down when he went back to school in the fall. No matter how hard he tries, whenever he’s back in his dorm he’s thinking about the next time he can talk to Soonyoung. 

“I invited Mingyu to Dairy Bar with us tonight, that won’t be weird right?”

“You’re lucky I cleaned out my car the other day,” Jeonghan sighs. He wants to say _yes, Soonyoung, it will be weird to sit and watch you flirt with the most attractive dude we work with because you are mine and I don’t want to share_. “I’ll meet you at The Tank, now get out so I can lock up,” is what he says instead. 

He watches Soonyoung smile and duck out under the metal gate used to close the bar from the rest of the water park at night. He goes through the motions of closing, but the more he thinks about this whole thing, the angrier he gets. He’s not angry with Soonyoung, only a little bit for inviting Mingyu to their ice cream place they go to every Wednesday night. Mostly he’s angry at himself. He’s angry at himself for thinking he’s got some sort of claim over Soonyoung when he knows they aren’t actually romantically involved. He’s especially angry at himself for thinking that Soonyoung, his best friend, would ever abandon him for a crush. Soonyoung and Mingyu are waiting for him at his Jeep when he finally trudges into the parking garage. They smell like sunscreen and chlorine and are huddled together giggling at something on Mingyu’s phone. Jeonghan has to admit, when he catches Mingyu’s smile in the rearview mirror, he can definitely see why Soonyoung would be interested. Even when Mingyu buys a chili cheese dog and drops half of it in his lap and makes a sound like a dying cat, Jeonghan understands the appeal. 

-

“Why don’t you ever want to hang out with just me?” Jeonghan’s not quite sure who Mingyu is aiming the question at, but he’s pretty sure it’s Soonyoung. Judging by the way Soonyoung tenses up in the passenger seat, they’d had this conversation before. Or, well, Mingyu had asked this question before and Soonyoung had avoided answering before. 

“Mingyu,” Soonyoung pleads, Mingyu’s hanging off the roll bar where the passenger side door should be had Jeonghan not taken the doors off for their trip to the beach a few days prior (and forgotten to replace them). Mingyu just raises his eyebrows at Soonyoung. “Fine. Fine, okay. I don’t hang out with you alone because I’ve got a stupid crush on you but I’m in love with Jeonghan and I don’t want to do anything with you that would jeopardize my relationship with him.” Soonyoung’s face is bright red when he finishes talking and he won’t meet anyone’s eyes. Mingyu leans forward to press a kiss to Soonyoung’s temple before pushing off the side of the car.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Mingyu smiles and trots across the parking lot and into his apartment. The ride to Soonyoung’s house is awkward, quiet. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to tell you. I know you don’t love me back.” Soonyoung has tears in his eyes when he unbuckles his seatbelt in the driveway. Jeonghan can only sigh and grab Soonyoung’s hand.

“Listen, Soonyoung. You’re my best friend, I do love you. But I can’t love you the way you love me, and it’s not because I don’t want to. If I was going to fall in love with anyone, it would be you.” Jeonghan squeezes Soonyoung’s hand, but the younger pulls away. 

“I’ll text you later.” Soonyoung gives him a watery smile and slips into his house. 

Jeonghan sags against his steering wheel for a moment. He doesn’t realize where he’s going until he’s pulling into a parking spot and walking up the stairs to Mingyu’s apartment. Mingyu opens the door, shirtless and wearing a pair of Spongebob pajama pants, and welcomes Jeonghan inside without a question. Once Mingyu has secured them away from the curious eyes of his roommate he wraps Jeonghan in a hug and let’s him talk. And Jeonghan does. He tells Mingyu everything, from how he and Soonyoung first met to when they started hooking up in the backseat of his Jeep that first summer. He talks about how he can’t love Soonyoung the way he wants to and about how he’d be better of with Mingyu but that Jeonghan just can’t give him up that easily. 

“I understand why Soonyoung thinks he’s falling for you,” Jeonghan says when he’s finally standing in the doorway of the apartment. “I probably would be, too. If I could.” 

Mingyu just smiles, he looks soft and young, and kisses Jeonghan on the forehead. 

Jeonghan doesn’t fall asleep until the sun is starting to creep through his bedroom window. 

-

Jeonghan is not prepared to walk into Mingyu’s apartment that next evening to see Soonyoung huddled on the couch, eyes rimmed red and sniffling. Jeonghan feels like the air has been crushed out of his lungs when they make eye contact.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Mingyu is oddly cheery for someone who seems to have spent most of the day comforting a crying friend. “Now, how about you two kiss and make up so we can get pizza.”

Jeonghan is also not prepared for Soonyoung to start laughing. It’s fragile sounding but not forced in any way and Jeonghan has never been happier to hear that sound. He pulls Soonyoung up from the couch and into a hug, Soonyoung’s head nuzzling into his neck. Mingyu comes crashing into them, wrapping his arms around both of their bodies. Mingyu drops kisses on the tops of both of their heads before separating. 

“Soonyoung, I can’t love you the way you need but Mingyu can. I don’t want to hurt you but I don’t want to give you up that easily. So, if you and Mingyu are okay with it,” Jeonghan looks to Mingyu at this. The tallest of the three is smiling that soft smile again, his eyes twinkling in a way that tell Jeonghan that he is okay with it. “I think, maybe, the three of us should try it out for a while. Date, I mean.”

“Two boyfriends is better than one,” Mingyu singsongs, Soonyoung snorts but pulls away. 

“I need to think about it,” Soonyoung backs out of the apartment, neither of them knowing if they should follow. Mingyu sighs and moves to the kitchen, busying himself with making dinner, while Jeonghan collapses onto the couch. It must be an hour before the door opens again, Jeonghan dozing while Mingyu hums and bangs around behind him. Jeonghan jolts with the door swings back and slams into the wall. Soonyoung is there, looking sheepish with the remnants of a 7-Eleven blue raspberry Slurpee in his hand. “Okay.” 

Jeonghan doesn’t move, his sleepy mind not processing as fast as it should. But Mingyu does, he rushes from the kitchen to capture Soonyoung in a hug and gets redirected into a kiss. When they part, Mingyu grinning ear to ear, Soonyoung flops himself down into Jeonghan’s lap. When they kiss, Soonyoung tastes like sugary syrup that Jeonghan should hate, but he can’t stop smiling. With Mingyu giggling from the doorway, Jeonghan thinks that this is the closest he’ll get to falling in love and he’s fine with that.

**Author's Note:**

> love a bit of aro jeonghan & self indulgent poly bfs
> 
> feel free to follow me on twitter @roslechan


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